Pump E85 - Current Ethanol Content

[tk80]

Hi guys

Fair bit of talk about the ethanol content in the pump fuel available (united, caltex etc).

There are plenty of people that have spent the money on content analysers, but plenty who haven't.
I thought it would be useful for those that don't have the analysers to have a place to come to check recent fuel batch quality.

So, just tell us when you bought the fuel, where and the ethanol content you're seeing. Don't write about fuel you bought last year, just recent examples. I hope for this to be a regularly updated thread.

Cheers

[34GeeTeeTee]

This thread will be pretty useless as Caltex Eflex is pretty consistant at 70-72 with nearly no variation and i believe United is sitting steady at 85.

/thread.

[scotty nm35]

Oh no, my ethanol content changed one point and I didn't even notice...

Do you really think it matters?

[tk80]

well piggaz has seen 77 up to about 87 at united servo at rozelle. I'm not a tuner, but suspect that if your car is tuned on e85 and your buying e77 fuel (or potentially worse) then you could run into some problems.

agreed...caltex consistent. More of an issue for united.

[scotty nm35]

How is Piggaz measuring the content? Does he have one of those dodgy test tubes or a Zeitronics box?

I haven't blown my engine yet...

[34GeeTeeTee]

well piggaz has seen 77 up to about 87 at united servo at rozelle. I'm not a tuner, but suspect that if your car is tuned on e85 and your buying e77 fuel (or potentially worse) then you could run into some problems.

agreed...caltex consistent. More of an issue for united.

Maybe the marine grade for boats is different

[port3s]

A friend of mine cracked all 6 pistons recently because of a bad batch of E85.. Apparently the content changes with the weather.. For example if you car was tuned in summer it would have been tuned with a higher ethanol content because in winter they add more pump fuel because the ethanol does not vaporize as easily in the cold..

Just what I have been told I'm not a scientist or anything..

[34GeeTeeTee]

A friend of mine cracked all 6 pistons recently because of a bad batch of E85.. Apparently the content changes with the weather.. For example if you car was tuned in summer it would have been tuned with a higher ethanol content because in winter they add more pump fuel because the ethanol does not vaporize as easily in the cold..

Just what I have been told I'm not a scientist or anything..

Sounds more like a bad tune or some other form of failure! E85 has not been known to cause any major issues without there being an outside influence of some form!

[port3s]

Like I said.. I have no clue just what I've been told.. I'm not on E85 just yet but with pump fuel going to $1.80/L I think it's time to invest.

[KiwiRS4T]

Not quite the same issue with E10 but tuners here have said not to use it because the vendors (Gull) say "up to" 10% ethanol and the variation is too much for an optimum tune.

[battery]

Lol everyone has a mate with a brother who says his cousin runs e85 and kills motors/fuel pumps/lines every other week.

[34GeeTeeTee]

Like I said.. I have no clue just what I've been told.. I'm not on E85 just yet but with pump fuel going to $1.80/L I think it's time to invest.

I know, its just comments like that from your mate that give people the wrong idea about Ethanol, there are so many cars running it daily and/or running it under extreme conditions with big power output and having no issues, there are some big $ and high HP cars running it with no issues, these are not the sort of builds you would expect people to run the risk of a dodgy fuel on.

[Piggaz]

How is Piggaz measuring the content? Does he have one of those dodgy test tubes or a Zeitronics box?

I haven't blown my engine yet...

Zeitronix sensor mang

[GTSBoy]

Given that we know that once you get the ethanol content up above about 40% you gain pretty much all the cooling and det resistance benefits of 85% ethanol, and given that we know that even the most variable stuff doesn't anywhere near <50%, surely there is room here to debunk the myths?

The other way to look at it is that as the ethanol % falls from some high value (say you tuned at a true E85) down to a low % (say it bottoms out at 60%) then the true amount of fuel is so very very high that the exhaust temps will still be low and the car will in fact struggle to make power. Instead it will make lots of black smoke.

You are more at risk of tuning it at the ragged edge (if you can find it) at E70 and then getting some true E85 into it and running a bit lean. Then you might get into some grief.

[port3s]

I know, its just comments like that from your mate that give people the wrong idea about Ethanol, there are so many cars running it daily and/or running it under extreme conditions with big power output and having no issues, there are some big $ and high HP cars running it with no issues, these are not the sort of builds you would expect people to run the risk of a dodgy fuel on.

This is running a straight E85 tune.. No flex sensor yet.. Might have caused it to lean out also..

[Piggaz]

agreed...caltex consistent. More of an issue for united.

I'd have to disagree with that. United are pretty spot on, from what I've seen. Caltex seems to vary just that little bit more than United.

Either way, just pull back the tune a bee's dick. When I was running the PFC/united tune, I ran Caltex in it and had no problems. That includes giving the car a flogging at hill climbs.

[boostn0199]

Ive been running pump e85 for last 3 years in my drift car and had it tuned for caltex and have switched between united and caltex on same tune and have had no worries engine still going as strong as ever, all comes down to how well its tuned to compensate for the changes.

[34GeeTeeTee]

I'd have to disagree with that. United are pretty spot on, from what I've seen. Caltex seems to vary just that little bit more than United.

Either way, just pull back the tune a bee's dick. When I was running the PFC/united tune, I ran Caltex in it and had no problems. That includes giving the car a flogging at hill climbs.

I've had a consistant reading the whole time!

[Piggaz]

I've had a consistant reading the whole time!

This was early on in the piece though, a few years ago. My car was off the road for a while there also. Maybe they have picked up their game?

[34GeeTeeTee]

This was early on in the piece though, a few years ago. My car was off the road for a while there also. Maybe they have picked up their game?

Mine has been over the past 14-15 mths i think! So possibly?